Arsene Wenger intends to unleash Patrick Vieira on non-League side Farnborough in this weekend's FA Cup fourth-round tie.
Farnborough were expecting to face a second-string Arsenal line-up - and many of Wenger's leading players are, indeed, likely to be rested. But the Arsenal boss showed he will be taking nothing for granted by disclosing after his team's 3-1 FA Premiership win against West Ham yesterday that Vieira is due to return from injury against the Conference side.
“Patrick should be back next Saturday against Farnborough,” he said after the Gunners had restored their five-point lead at the top of the table. “I could have played him in this game but I didn't want to take a gamble because he'd had two setbacks with his groin,” the Frenchman added.
Thierry Henry is nevertheless still expected to be rested against Farnborough, just as he was in the last round against Oxford. Since then, the Frenchman has scored five times in just two games – including his second hat-trick of the season against the Hammers.
Filed by James Boylan.
